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The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, have agreed on measures to strengthen cooperation between Nigeria’s civil and military aviation authorities.
The agreement followed Keyamo’s condolence visit to Aneke over the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The October 5 crash involved an NAF aircraft carrying 25 people, comprising 20 passengers and five crew members. The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed in a swampy area near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
The aircraft lost contact at about 9:13 a.m., after which its wreckage was located near the naval base. Search operations were subsequently launched to recover the victims and the aircraft wreckage.
The Nigerian Air Force later confirmed that all 25 people aboard the aircraft had died and released the names of the five crew members and 20 passengers.
Following the crash, the Chief of Air Staff ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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President Bola Tinubu also declared three days of national mourning for the victims and directed the Air Force to investigate the cause of the crash.
Against this backdrop, Keyamo and Aneke agreed that the incident underscored the need for stronger collaboration between the civil and military aviation sectors.
The proposed areas of cooperation include aviation safety, airworthiness, certification, training and capacity building.
The two officials also agreed to work towards a joint framework aimed at strengthening safety standards, technical expertise and capacity across both sectors.
Meanwhile, recovery operations are continuing at the crash site, which is difficult to access. The Nigerian Navy and Marine Police are involved in efforts to recover the victims and the wreckage of the aircraft.
